The Manulife Centre’s Mink Mile Makeover
The concrete landmark on Toronto’s luxury strip is getting a chic wrap-around facade and an improved street edge
When your neighbours are Hermès and Louis Vuitton, looking good is a raison d’être. Accordingly, the Manulife Centre, first completed in 1974, is undergoing a grandiose mid-life makeover care of B+H Architects in association with MdeAS Architects. The transformation calls for a chic glass wrap-around façade at street level that connects with the existing aesthetic, providing a new grandeur along Bloor Street Bloor.
Retro precast concrete accents, like the tower’s distinct conical shape, will thankfully stay in focus. Meanwhile, the Giannone Petricone-designed Eataly, an upscale 4,645-square-metre Italian marketplace and restaurant, will join a slew of glitzy new storefronts.
The Manulife Centre renovation includes refreshed lobbies, a revamped circulation plan, upgraded retail spaces, a “hidden hotel“, and enhanced mechanical and electrical systems for improved sustainability and operational efficiency. B+H Architects will also revitalize the streetscape with cohesive planning and landscaping, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment. This will feature widened sidewalks, mature trees, flower gardens, modern lighting, and public art, fostering a lively urban experience that connects the buildings to the vibrant city.
